The Write Stuff – Writing Don’ts

Don’t use the standard 5-paragraph essay with thesis, body, and conclusion

Don’t use clichés

Seriously, they’re a dime a dozen. Avoid them like the plague.

Don’t litter your essay with quotes from others

This is like sending a Hallmark card to your mother on her birthday and trying to take full credit for what’s inside.

Don’t go thesaurus-happy

If you pulled a 310 verbal on your SAT and are whipping out words like “extemporaneous” and “abecedarian,” it’ll come off as forced and phony.

Don’t overdo adjectives and adverbs

Nouns and verbs are the heart of the American language.

Don’t be gimmicky

Writing your essay in crayons because the topic was about your childhood years is like embracing communism—it sounds good in theory but doesn’t play out so well in practice.

Don’t generalize or stereotype

Don’t use profanity or crass humor

Don’t use stuffy language

Dry: “I have come to the understanding according to certain factors that have influenced my life…”

Lively: “During the summer of 2002, I was stalked by my literary hero.”

Don’t be overly sentimental

Don’t come off as arrogant

This is tricky. After all, you want to shine, but you don’t want to come off as too cocky. So what’s the middle ground? It’s somewhere around the difference between stating that you’re just so fantastic because of all the great things you’ve done and letting your unique accomplishments speak for themselves through a well-told story.

Don’t preach your wisdom

Colleges want people who are open to discovering the wisdom of the world, not those who claim to already have it. (Note: If you do, in fact, know the meaning of life, please feel free to forward it to Metro Academic Prep via email.)

Don’t try to be someone else

Don’t get advice from too many others, as your own voice will get lost

Don’t wait until the last minute

If you’re already too late to benefit from this tip, don’t worry. You’ll get done what you need to and will hopefully know better for next time, or the time after that.

Don’t have someone else write your essay

If you consistently receive Ds on all your papers and suddenly turn in an essay written in iambic pentameter that also happens to be a palindrome, you’re going to raise eyebrows. It’s important to get useful feedback from others and certainly receive proper support from essay specialists who know how to help you organize and express your own thoughts in your own voice.

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